Alaska’s crabbers, depicted in a reality-TV show about the dangers they face, are confronting a threat from across the Bering Strait: Russian poachers driving down crab prices.
The world seafood market has been hit by a wave of crab caught illegally in Russian waters that helped lower prices for Alaska’s catch by as much as 25 percent in 2012 from the prior year, according to estimates by Inter-Cooperative Exchange, an association of Bering Sea crab fishermen.
“It definitely has a large economic impact on us,” said Leonard Herzog, part owner of the Ramblin’ Rose, a boat featured last year on the reality series “Deadliest Catch.” “It’s a difficult, dangerous business, and the guys on the boat deserve to reap the reward for their efforts.”
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